* After reports surfaced that a high-level employee with the Department of Natural Resources had accepted a large campaign contribution from a coal mining company and then transferred half of that to Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign fund, the governor’s campaign press office released this statement…
Statement from Quinn Campaign Regarding Campaign Contributions
To be clear, as a matter of campaign policy, we do not accept political contributions from state employees.
Immediately upon learning today of previous donations from this entity and their connection to a state employee, the Governor directed that these funds be donated to worthy charities across Illinois.
The Trooper Douglas Balder Benefit Fund, the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, the Chicago Urban League and the Illinois Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund will each receive $2,000 in donations. This exceeds the total contributed by the Douglas County Democrats.
Again, it is our policy to not accept donations from state employees.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** Sen. Frerichs has also donated the cash to charity…
The News-Gazette reported earlier this week that Quinn had received $5,000 and Frerichs $250 from the Douglas County Democratic Party last August. That money apparently originated with Foresight Energy Services Co. of St. Louis, which operates coal mines in Illinois. […]
Frerichs, D-Champaign, said Thursday that he had donated $250 to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank in Urbana.
